Q&A with Michael F. McKenna
The marketing department sat down with Mike McKenna, who recently joined our Newark, New Jersey office.
Q: Tell us a little about your practice.
A: For the last 38 years, I have almost exclusively practiced in the area of construction law. My first case in 1980 was when the ship, the Summit Venture, ran into the Sunshine Skyway, killing 38 people and taking down about a ¼ mile of a bridge. I represented the contractors who built that bridge and was asked to remove the bridge wreckage from the water. Eventually, I assisted the Florida Department of Transportation in the Maritime case against Hercules Carrier, the owner of the Summit Venture. I represent clients all over the United States and have done trial work in over 20 states. I have done some international work too. But now, most of my practice is in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.
Q: What types of clients do you represent?
A: Almost always, my clients are very large construction companies that have contract/claim disputes with a large public owner such as the MTA, NYSDOT, NJDOT, and PennDOT.
Q: Why did you decide to join Cohen Seglias?
A: George Pallas. George and I crossed paths for many years as we both practice in the same area of the law. I really liked George not only as a lawyer but as a person. My wife of 44 years also got to know George and his wife, Lori. We agreed that after 38 years, joining Cohen Seglias was the way to go.
Q: How did you get started in your career?
A: I started working with my dad in construction mostly as a carpenter. I am the oldest of nine kids and working was a prerequisite. I then went to Manhattan College to get a degree in engineering. When I graduated, I received a good offer to work for a consulting engineering firm as an assistant resident engineer on a large airport project for the MTA. After a few years, I decided to seek an MBA. I was proceeding down that path when one of the senior engineers at the firm asked me, “Have you ever thought about being an attorney?” Candidly, I had not even given it a second of thought. So, I applied to a night class at Pace University in White Plains. I then went into construction as a Project Manager for a significant construction company in Westchester, New York. I worked for that company for three years while I completed law school, and then went to work at the firm that would be my home for 38 years.
Q: What do you enjoy most about your practice?
A: The people. I have found very few people in construction that do not truly like what they are doing. I love to go out to a construction site as it inevitably brings out the little boy in this old man. Many of my dearest friends are clients.
